New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-02
THE NETWORK FIGURES.

amusement Those who wish TO learn how
defeats can be avoided in future may proiitabiy
study figures given in another column, which
show in what localities the Republican party
was defeated in 1887. There was, first, an
epidemic of staying at home. Persuaded that
they were going to win anyhow because of the
large Labor vote, more than 100000 Rcpub-
licans allowed somebody else to defend their
principles for them Part Of them threw away
their votes on Prohibition or various Labor
tickets, but the great majority did not vote at
all. To determine how many wasted their
votes in either way, the vote for Treasurer,
the highest for any Republican candidate, is
compared with the vote for Davenport in 1888.
In thirty counties the Republicans lost 1888
votes while the highest for Prohibition candi-
dates in the same counties shows an increase
of only $3.50. The balance cannot be sup
posed to have gone to Labor tickets, for in
each of these counties the Democratic loss
either succeeds or substantially accounts for
the increase in the aggregate of Labor and
Greenback votes. In eighteen other counties
the Republicans gained, while the Democrats
lost. The Prohibition gain was drawn from
Republicans who failed to vote for Davenport,
and the large gain in these counties for LABOR
candidates in part from Democrats who did
vote for Hill, and in part from Democrats VINO
failed to vote that year. In two other counties,
Kings and Queens, the Republicans lost 2,OO0'
but tho Democrats lost still more 1865, and
the Prohibition gain accounts for about half the
Republican loss. The remainder, and part OF
the stay-at-homc votes of 1885, may have gone
to the Labor ticket but the great majority OF
votes in these counties also for those tickets
evidently came from Democratic sources.
Thus in fifty out of sixty counties the RepuD-
licans actually or relatively gained; they cast
Is, 493 less votes than in 1885, but the Demo-
cats cast %, ia less. The gain was not quite
large enough to carry the State, but lacked
little of it. In these counties the Republicans
did relatively better than in the Presidential
election. 1t is dismal thing that their vote
in these fifty counties was GO641 less than the
vote cast for Mr.. Blaine and not more than
Quarter of this loss can be traced to Prohibition
and Labor tickets but the Democrats In the
same counties cast $500 votes less than Tor
Cleveland Fewer of them stayed at home, the
returns from these counties clearly show, than
of the Republicans. Over confidence did not
cheat them they did not go to sleep in the
faith that some political nccromancer would
win for them. Nevertheless, in the fifty coun-
ties the Republicans did relatively gain, through
the diversion Of Democratic votes to Labor
tickets, about $500 on the vote of 1884.
There remain ten counties and in -four OF
these the Republicans lost in the aggregate only
SO1 votes compared with 1885. But IN the
remaining six counties they lost nearly 10000
votes, while the Democrats lost only 1O.o6l.
In the five counties outside of Ncw-York the
Republican vote fell of 4,O58. the Prohibition
vote increasing only 1854, while the Demo
cratic vote increased 1880 and the Labor vote
1896. Doubtless in these, as in the other
counties previously mentioned, several thou
sand Republicans failed TO vote at all, but some
evidently voted for Democratic candidates or
for Labor tickets. Finally, in New-York the
Republican vote fell off 1904 more than the
Democratic. Comparing with the Presidential
election, the Republicans lost in the six counties
Al, 3O1, and the Democrats only 23.2oS. Read
ing the figures which show how general was
tho Republican stay-at-home propensity
through the State. it is but reasonable TO
attribute part of the loss in the six counties to
the same cause. Democrats were alarmed by
Labor detection, and aroused by quarrels among
themselves, and they called out big vote
Republicans had faith that victory was going
to be won for them by political machinery with
cut their voting at all.
The lesson these figures teach is worth re-
membering. The Republican party cannot
afford 10 neglect, in any locality, the earnest and
faithful advocacy of its principles relying upon
any sort of political legerdcman for success
It cannot afford to have 100000 new voters
inquiring what Republican objects and beliefs
really are, with no body of sincere and Jealous
workers to inform them. That way lies de-
feat. When Republicans mean to win they
must take the trouble to vote, first of all. and
then to make known their principles and their
roasonings to others, and especially to new
voters.